'Economic success suffers from bad politics, crime'Bangladesh misses out on capitalising its recent economic successes for deteriorating law and order, and confrontational politics, donors observed at lead-up talks to the Bangladesh Development Forum(meet)

Another Bangla year comes with gaietyPahela Boishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year 1411, is being celebrated today by tens of millions of Bangalees at home and across the globe amid fanfare and gaiety.

20 killed as buses collide in TangailTwenty people, including four women and a child, were killed and 34 injured as two buses collided head on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Mirzapur upazila yesterday afternoon.

Unbelievable, bizzare!Believe it or not! A 3-year-old child, accused in an attempted murder case, surrendered before court in his father's lap yesterday and prayed for bail.

Probe finds no political linkProbe into the April 2 weapons haul from Chittagong has so far revealed no political link with the biggest-ever arms trafficking incident, head of the five-member official inquiry committee Home Secretary

Balaji rattles PakistanIndian seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji took a career-best four wickets on Tuesday as Pakistan were dismissed for 224 on a seaming pitch on the first day of the deciding third Test.

SC irked as govt seeks 18th time extensionThe Supreme Court yesterday expressed annoyance for delaying the implementation of its directives towards separation of the judiciary when the attorney general sought a further extension of four months.

Saved by a whiskerSeveral children and their parents at Sunnydale School at Dhanmondi in the capital miraculously escaped death or serious injuries yesterday as a 200-kg concrete pillar from an adjacent under-construction

8 Russian hostages freed in IraqFive Ukrainians and three Russians have been freed, a day after they were seized in Iraq, where a US military crackdown has led to the kidnapping of dozens of foreigners and a flareup of violence.

CCCI worried at rising crimesThe Chittagong Chambers of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) yesterday expressed grave concern at the alarming slide in law and order in the port city.

Women flock to write 'No' to govt planSeveral hundred women massed at city's Shahbagh yesterday to write a long banner of 'NOs' as a symbolic gesture denouncing the government plan of proportionate distribution, instead of direct election

Pahela Boishakh programme curtailedThe traditional programmes to celebrate the Pahela Boishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year, today at the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University have been curtailed this year due to fund crunch

Intelligence briefing declassifiedThe White House released on April 10 the declassified text of the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB), titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike US," and a fact sheet explaining how the PDBwas

20 structures, 200 shanties dashedThe joint team of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and Dhaka district administration yesterday demolished 20 concrete structures and 200 shanties on the bank of the river Buriganga.

Govt terms Time report politically biasedBangladesh yesterday described the Time magazine article titled "State of Disgrace" in its April 12 edition as deeply flawed, politically biased and sensational reporting.

Lawyers trying to save accusedAwami League (AL) leaders and family members of four national leaders yesterday alleged the present prosecution lawyers of the jail killing case are working to save the accused as 'they are stalwartsof

Havilder shot in DemraUnidentified gunmen shot and wounded a police havilder in plainclothes near Bibir Baghica in Demra last night.

Kajal at large, lawyer says he's feverRafiqul Islam Kajal, the prime accused in last month's triple murder, is still on the run, but his lawyer for another murder case said his client failed to appear before the court yesterday "due to aviral

EC calls security review meetingThe Election Commission (EC) has asked home ministry officials, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and officials of all detective branches to attend a law and order review meeting on April

Jalil sticks to April 30 deadlineDespite the Awami League's (AL) apparent retreat from its April 30 deadline to unseat the government, party General Secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday reiterated the claim that the coalition would be compelled

Retain job-generating projectsAs the government is contemplating to prune the size of this fiscal year's annual development programme (ADP), the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has urged the government not todrop

ADB, Saarc sign MoU to strengthen cooperationThe Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to strengthen cooperation between them.

DSE general index crosses 1050-markThe general index at Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) yesterday crossed 1050-point mark for the first time as the country's capital market continued a bullish run.

Cricket:400: Beat that!West Indies captain Brian Lara became the first batsman to score 400 runs and then watched his fast bowlers build on his hard work to leave England in tatters in the fourth and final cricket Test.

Cricket:Cricket can mend fencesPakistan and India met in the deciding Test of an en-thralling cri-cket series on Tuesday, whi-ch leaders from both sides believe can give new impetus to a stuttering peace process between the old enemies.

Cricket:Lauding Lord LaraAustralian opening batsman Matthew Hayden has praised West Indies skipper Brian Lara for taking the world Test record score to a new level.

Cricket:Thorpe was therePoor old Graham Thorpe. To be in the field for the entire duration of one record-breaking Brian Lara innings could be considered bad luck.

Cricket:England 231-8England, replying to West Indies first innings of 751 for five declared, were 231 for eight at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Test on Tuesday.

Andrew Flintoff was batting on 68.

Cricket:Rafique's the bestSports journalists voted left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique as the best player of the year for 2003.

Cricket:Australia touring ZimCricket Australia said it was committed to tour Zimbabwe next month despite reports of upheaval within the Zimbabwean team.

Cricket:Repeat final in school cricketBKSP and Parjiar Ka-lindi High set up a repeat final as last year when the two sides moved into the final of the Standard Chartered 22nd National School Cricket Tourna-ment beating their respective rivals

Football:'Absurd' says BeckhamEngland football captain David Beckham, engulfed by a media storm surrounding his love life, said Monday newspaper allegations that he had cheated on his wife Victoria with two other women were "absurd".

Football:Easy equation for GunnersArsenal need just nine points from their last six matches to clinch the Premiership title after Aston Villa crushed Chelsea's lingering hopes of catching the Gunners.

Football:Italian pride at stakeInter Milan will be looking to spare Italian blushes when they bid to overhaul a 1-0 deficit at home to Marseille in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

7 JU BCL leaders expelledSeven leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have been expelled as they allegedly assaulted the university unit general secretary on Sunday night.

Teesta Barrage faces threatTeesta Barrage, the country's biggest irrigation barrage and a key point installation (KPI), is facing a threat due to unabated illegal extraction of sand and rock from the "risky area" of the Teestariver

Man to die for killing sonA farmer was awarded death penalty in absentia by the Additional District and Sessions Judge Court, Bagerhat on Sunday for killing his 21-day-old baby son at Pingurhia village in Kachua upazila, Bagerhat.

Looking backAs a finishing touch I would always put a red bindi on my forehead,' said Selina Malek.

Upholding the traditionPahela Baishakh is observed with festivities and cultural events every year.This festival, which marks the Bangla New Year, is on today.

Tele theatre of Bangladesh in Indian channelJoiboti Konnar Mon, a famous and popular theatre play, written by eminent writer Selim Al Deen and directed by Nasiruddin Yusuff Bacchu, will go on air today on the Indian satellite TV channelETV

Notes for the New YearShakila Zafar, singerI wish everybody a very happy New Year. I don't generally go to fairs to celebrate Pahela Baishakh.

ExhibitionApril 15-17Kamranga, an art and crafts gallery, has arranged a three day solo painting exhibition of Uttam Ghosh, starting on April 15.

Screen ventureZahid Hasan's directorial debutZahid Hasan is going to appear as a film director soon.

JCD cadres beat 4 BCL activists at JUJatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) cadres of Jahangirnagar University (JU) beat four Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists and ousted two others from their dormitories in last two days.

Renegade LTTE faction calls off warThousands of Tamil refugees began returning home yesterday as Sri Lanka's government considered granting asylum to a Tamil Tiger commander after he called off a fierce factional war.

Sharon vows to keep Gaza settlementsPrime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed Israel would keep major settlements in the West Bank "for all eternity" before flying to Washington yesterday to secure US approval for a unilateral pullout from theGaza

US intelligence faces major revamp: BushPresident Bush said Monday that US intelligence operations may need to be reformed because of weaknesses that allowed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to take place.

'Half of Iraqis killed in Fallujah were civilians'Half the Iraqis killed in a US offensive in the town of Fallujah were women, children and elderly people, a mediator said yesterday, but US officials insisted they took all precautions to avoid non-combattants.

Kerry calls for UN, Nato role in IraqUS Senator John Kerry, virtual Democratic candidate for the November 2 presidential election, called for United Nations and Nato involvement in Iraq and urged President George W.

Editorial:Pahela Baishakh messageThe advent of a new Bangla year doesn't merely connote the passage of time, but something more than that.

Editorial:Reducing cost of businessA consensus finally seems to be forming among the business community and policy-makers and shapers in the country with respect to what needs to be done to make Bangladesh more competitive in the global

The metamorphosis of Bangla new yearAs an old saying goes: "Bangalees have thirteen festivals in twelve months." This experience-based adage gives an impression of a society which was affluent, cohesive and joyful.

The AL deadlineOver the last few months, the main opposition Awami League and the BNP-led alliance government have been locked in blistering accusations and counter accusations and blitzkriegs on each other fortheir

Advancing BiotechnologyWe would like to begin by commending Prof. Ahmad Islam for his very timely articles about advancing the future of Biotechnology in Bangladesh.

America's roleWe are outraged over the situation in Iraq, which has arisen due to the activities of the so-called liberators of Iraqis.

Iraq bleedsI think Mr. Bush should get out of his oath and thus allow thousands of people of Iraq as well as the US live in peace with their families and carry out normal activities. Mr.

CTG Port -- security aspectsLike millions of other citizens I feel concerned about the international arms smuggling syndicates and the absence of one-umbrella security coverage of Chittagong and other sea, river and land ports.

Poor BTV quality controlAt home, as a viewer of BTV programmes (since the 1960s), I have to convert my drawing room into a supplementary BTV Control Room to fiddle throughout the hours with the controls of the TV receiver set

Policing the civilizationThe US leaders have taken upon themselves the seminal (not dirty) job of Americanising the religions, philosophies, cultures, traditions of the rest of the world after September 11.

When will it stop?As a regular reader of the DS , I often find articles describing the tension and violence gripping the country. The recent arms haul in the port city has given rise to many questions.

Beautiful Dhaka!The beautification of DU campus zone as conceived by the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) is their latest publicity stunt to divert public attention from the mismanagement and mess that they have created

What a sacrifice!People of the middle and lower middle class are born with a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. They have to pass most part of their lives struggling for earning two square meals a day.

BTV and cricketSince there are so many cricket fans in Bangladesh, BTV is telecasting important ODI cricket matches. It is a matter of joy for those who have no satellite connection with their television sets.

DU canteensLast Tuesday (6-4-2004) I along with my two friends were walking on the Dhaka University campus. In fact, we were loitering around the science faculty's annex building.

The biggest ammo haulA bamboozling show of illegal lethal arms recovered recently from the Chittagong coastal area has once again divulged the vulnerability of our national security and the irresponsibility of the law enforcement

Dhaka gets the hang of science of printingDHAKA'S tech community got a foretaste of Hewlett-Packard (HP) 's proactive movement of educating its clients about the science of printing involved in original printing solutions at an event where HP

Hazards of handling 'unsafe' meatMeat handlers may contract diseases from cattle slaughtered in and out of the six designated slaughterhouses in Dhaka with no health checks or medical examinations.

Hotels turn hotbed of crimesResidential hotels at Moghbazar, Banglamotor and Malibagh have become a safe heaven for extortionists; drug traffickers, criminals and those involved in clandestine business.

Now comes the plan for diversion roadsDhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) plans to construct a number of diversion roads as a contingency measure to minimise possible traffic congestion once the Mohakhali flyover is opened later this

Common spirit for Pahela BaishakhThe Bangla New Year will be celebrated in true community spirit this year with both the Muslims and Hindus preparing to observe the 'Pahela Baishakh' on the same day, April 14.